Person Parsons; Sir; John Herbert (1868 - 1957); ophthalmologist and physiologist Parsons John Herbert Sir ophthalmologist and physiologist 1868 - 1957 Male Bristol, South West, England 03 September 1868 18680903 University College Hospital, Grafton Way, London, England 07/10/1957 19571007

ophthalmologist and physiologist Physiology Ophthalmology Education: Thomas Turner's private school; Bristol grammar school; University College, Bristol; Bristol Royal Infirmary; University College, London BSc with honours in physiology (1890); St Bartholomew's Hospital MB (1892); University College, London DSc (190) Career: Assistant and demonstrator in physiology to Edward Albert Sharpey-Schafer (FRS 1878) at University College (1892); general practice in Finchley; clinical assistant at Moorfields Eye Hospital; elected pathological curator and librarian at Moorfields Hospital (1900); elected to the consulting surgical staff of that hospital and of University College Hospital (1904); surgeon to the Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street; conducted a large ophthalmic practice at a house in Queen Anne Street; served on several government commissions, greatly contributing to the provision of adequate lighting of factories; one of the founding members of the Illuminating Engineering Society, of which he was the first chairman of council, president (1924), and honorary member (1943); helped with the creation of the International Council of Ophthalmology (1927); chairman of the editorial committee of the British Journal of Ophthalmology (1917-1948); founding member of the British Council of Ophthalmologists and was largely responsible for its substitution by the Faculty of Ophthalmologists to serve as the co-ordinating and academic custodian of the specialism; served on the Medical Research Council (1929-1932); ophthalmic surgeon to the 3rd London General Hospital (1916-1917); ophthalmic consultant to the home forces (1917-1918); served in advisory capacity to the army, navy, and the Royal Air Foce; left London and retired from practice and lent his house to the French Red Cross (1939); latterly lived in Leeds. Honours: CBE 1919; Kt 1922 Memberships: FRCS (1900) Ophthalmological Society of the United Kingdom (1900) President of the Royal Society of Medicine (1936–1938) Awards/Medals: Nettleship Gold Medal (1907) Doyne Medal (1919) Bowman Lectureship (1925) Howe Medal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology (1936) Parents: Isaac Jabez Parsons, grocer, and Mary Goodhind Webb. Spouse: Jane Roberta (d. 1911), daughter of John Hendrie of Uddingston, Lanarkshire (1894) Children: One son and one daughter. Brought ophthalmology to prominence. Published papers on ocular pathology and works on the control of intra-ocular pressure. In his capacity as consultant to the Board of Trade, the problems of colour vision and colour blindness assumed importance: incidentally, colour­blindness had been the subject of his first scientific paper in 1900. Royal Society roles: VP 1941-1942 Council 1926–7 and 1941–3 Fellow 12/05/1921 54 William McDougall; Charles Scott Sherrington; Ernest Henry Starling; Charles James Martin; William Maddock Bayliss; William Maddock Myers; William Halse Rivers Rivers Sources: Bulloch's Roll Obituaries: Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society 1958 vol 4 pp 205-214, plate, by Stewart Duke-Elder International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) - Ottawa 1996 ISBN 0-9696035-3-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbm.1958.0018 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/action/doSearch?ContribAuthorRaw=Parsons%2C+John+Herbert RCN 58346 RCN 58344 RCN 19831 3 Sep 1868 - 7 Oct 1957 The past Fellows entries are under continuous revision. If you have queries or additional information to contribute, please contact Library@royalsociety.org. Content in external sources is not controlled by the Royal Society and historical sources may include content that is now unacceptable. Reviewed on 06/03/2024 as part of the Name Authority Project update. NA694 21/11/2001 Andyg Pmab 08/09/2025 RS_NET\VirginiaM Yes http://viaf.org/viaf/52054185 403496e1-0c61-46ef-b61a-c36ef2f5ab61